I know that right now HS is considered by most a half-day park. What do you think is going to happen after TSL opens? Will it become a full-day park?
I was thinking about leaving the park for a TS meal elsewhere (Boardwalk area) but we can’t walk it (the extra mileage might do our kids and the grandparents in) so would be stuck doing the boats. Which would mean taking out about 3 hours of our park day for a TS meal. Would we still be able to do (most) everything? RD one TSL attraction and FPP another? We’re only going to have one day in HS and if possible I’d like to hit up all the shows and one nighttime show. Could it be done with a 3-hour break at brunch-time? Or should we just stay and do our TS meal on an Epcot day?
Things look different on paper than in real life, so from those of you who have done HS recently, what do you think is going to happen? And what would you do?
We’re going in early December. So the boats out of commission in May doesn’t affect us. I just don’t know if adding 2-3 rides and a 3-hour break for a meal means we’d still be able to do everything…or if we should just stay and bite the bullet with food in HS so we have enough time. I haven’t been since it was MGM, oh, forever ago…
I don’t imagine the opening of TSL will do much to HS in terms of time. In effect, there are only two additional rides. Having said that, kids rides are notorious for having longer lines. The type of rides don’t have a great amount of ride capacity, so even a short line can take a while. (I’m thinking about Goofy’s Barnstormer, for example, which has a short queue line, but you still end up waiting 30+ minutes!)
TSMM is not new, and so that doesn’t add time. So really the only additional time will be SD and the Alien Saucers ride. Depending on ages, you might not even care to do that one.
I don’t think HS will become a “full day park” until Star Wars opens.
I saw somewhere calling out a 6 week duration for the Friendship Boat’s being down to the bridge refurb. Googling I’m seeing mostly indefinite, although it looks like Kenny the Pirate updated his site to say 6 weeks now:
If 6 weeks is accurate that has them re-opening around June 18th. I need them mid-July so I think I’ll be safe for our trip…
So you think we’d be good to leave for up to 3 hours and still hit almost everything? My kids are 4, 6, and 8. I figure we can RD one new ride and FPP another. I’m not waiting in line for hours for anything. This is pretty much the only character meal I’m dying to do and Epcot just has better food choices in general so…if leaving HS for 3 hours won’t be a big deal I think we’ll plan it for that day. It’s hard when I haven’t been in so long…
Yes. With kids those ages, you are basically eliminating RnRC. ToT is doable at least with the 6 and 8 year old. I don’t know about the 4 year old.
So, yeah. I think you’re safe. RD TSMM and FPP SDD, or RD SDD and FPP TSMM, if possible. Star Tours generally isn’t a huge wait and worth doing. I can’t speak for the conversion of the Great Movie Ride. Not sure if you’re going when that re-opens in its new form.
I think you have to decide what is most important. I think leaving for 3 hours may mean missing a TSL ride, probably SDD since you are offsite. If you are okay with that, then book the meal. You should still be able to FPP TSMM and do standby at saucers.
I figure if we want SDD and FPP isn’t available we’ll RD it. I might rather do that than some spinning something or the other. I’ll look at videos after they’re out.
Yes, I figure that DH and I will do RnRC and maybe ToT while the kids do a show with the grandparents. If the bigger girls want to come then we’ll just make it work. I won’t be doing Star Tours…that one makes me sick…
The half/whole day discussion is really based on what you want to do. If all you’re interested in is rides, then maybe a half day, but if you want to see all of the shows, it will be difficult to do in less than a full day (especially if you consider that 2 occur after dark).
TSL will definitely affect crowds in DHS. The three rides will all have long lines, and because of the FPP tiers, if you only have one day allocated to DHS, you’ll have to stand in two of them SB. And more people in general will be going to DHS because of TSL, so not only will there be long lines in TSL, but the rest of the park will also have longer than average waits. At least for the first 6 months or so.
Not sure you have to “bite the bullet” with regards to dining. HBD is excellent, and Sci-Fi, 50s, and MM are all good in their own ways.
we go july and I have planned a couple of hours out of the park but it is the only park we are only visiting once in our 10 days. Rope drop might be a challenge but worth it as is 7am for onsite while we are there. So plan is to do do as much of TSL before full opening at 8am, with first FP maybe around 8.45/9. then see how much we do before we need to leave for beaches and cream, only planning ice cream but sit down and a wander aroud areound the broadwalk. this is a 2pm and then we have sci fi diner at 6.30 and planning to stay for fanstasmic. think the boys might be disappointed if we dont see the star wars fireworks but we do have one evening later in week that we could go back just for that
We’d like to see the shows…just one after dark show, though. I guess I’m kinda thinking…
9-11
RD one TSL ride. Ride the other if we got FP for morning (or if the line is ridiculously short), otherwise ride RnRC or ToT, whatever we did get an a.m. FPP for. See one show in the 10:00 hour.
11-2
leave the park
2-8
That leaves 2 rides with FPP, and one other ride, if we even want to do them “all.” There are also 3 shows left (not including the ones after 8 pm). And the Muppets thing. I think that’s it. Could we do those all in this six hours? 3 shows and 3 rides, 2 of which are with FPP?
I guess a lot will depend on crowds and how much TSL is loved. I think I’ll have to wait and see. Phoo. I want to plan now!
We don’t really want to do any TS at all in HS. So we’d be biting the bullet to eat QS. I have fond memories of 50s but want to wait until my kids are older…I have two shy ones and don’t think they’d enjoy it. If I’m going to spend money to eat TS I kinda want to do it someplace I actually want to eat, not just someplace that’s there…
If I was only doing one or two TSs in a trip DHS would probably not be one of them. But I typically TS almost all of my lunches and dinners, so I don’t have to be quite so selective.
I would check out Mator’s Junkyard Jamboree. I suspect that AS will be a differently themed version of that. It is surprisingly fun, although Mator’s singing is 75% of the charm. Not sure how/if they can duplicate that on this ride. But watching it may give you a better idea if you want to ride or not. BTW, DH does not do spinning rides, but does MJJ no problem.
I assume then you’re not fans of Star Wars at all, since there’s also Star Tours and Launch Bay. Then there’s the March of the First Order, which I loved but was really hard to fit in around other stuff.
Plus One Man’s Dream, which I can never miss, along with the Citizens of Hollywood who I always seeek out. Plus any Meet and Greets.
DH might do Star Tours…I don’t do well with “rides” like that…make me feel all What’s in Launch Bay? My kids have seen two Star Wars movies, I think…they’re still pretty little so we haven’t pushed it much. We’re hoping to do another WDW trip in 2021 so I figure we’ll hit all the Star Wars stuff then.
Would my kids like One Man’s Dream? They’re 4, 6, and 8. And yes, we’ll be looking for characters and Citizens of Hollywood. There aren’t many M&Gs in the TP software…Chewy, Kylo Ren, I think Minnie. Are there many others?
What’s in Launch Bay? My kids have seen two Star Wars movies, I think…they’re still pretty little so we haven’t pushed it much. We’re hoping to do another WDW trip in 2021 so I figure we’ll hit all the Star Wars stuff then.